No. 2: What is this stuff about second baseman DJ LeMahieu being in the “Janet Jackson Zone.”

Let’s start with No. 1.

It’s really quite simple. Manager Walt Weiss frequently refers to Dickerson as a “natural born hitter.” So good, and so natural, in fact, Weiss has said: “Dickie could wake up, roll out of bed and hit on Christmas morning.” Hence, “Merry Christmas.”

Weiss has also said Dickerson could “hit under water,” and Dickerson could “hit in his sleep.”

I prefer the Christmas morning reference, even if I don’t quite get it. But, as a reader pointed out, Weiss’ reference is not unique or original. Former Kansas City Royals GM John Schuerholz once said: “George Brett could roll out of bed on Christmas morning and hit a line drive.”

Dickerson said he now gets tweets and messages from fans and friends with Christmas themes attached. It seems to be catching on.

OK, now on to No. 2. This one is weird, way out of left field and the result of an inside joke between too strange sports writers.

As a singer, Janet Jackson knew her limitations and still became a star. (The Associated Press)

I was driving to Surprise, Ariz., during spring training along with my good friend Thomas Harding of MLB.com. We were passing the time listening to an oldies station when a Janet Jackson song came on the radio.

I remarked to Thomas that I never thought Janet Jackson could sing.

“It’s all electronics and background vocals and stuff,” I said.

Thomas, who considers himself something of a pop music expert, disagreed.

“Janet could sing a little bit,” he said. “She just knew what songs to sing, and she knew to stay within her range. Kind of like DJ LeMahieu on offense.”

I’m usually not shocked by anything Thomas says, but this one caught me off guard.

“So you are equating DJ LeMahieu to Janet Jackson?” I asked.

“Yes, it’s the perfect analogy,” Thomas insisted.

So, the next day, unbeknownst to Thomas, I informed Weiss of the LeMahieu-Janet Jackson connection. Weiss was, shall we say, perplexed, if not slightly amused.

That night, LeMahieu hit a double in a Cactus League game.

“As DJ was running to second base, all I could think of was ‘wardrobe malfunction,” Weiss deadpanned.

Last Wednesday night in San Francisco after the Rockies beat the Giants, I asked Weiss, “Is DJ still in the Janet Jackson zone?”

Root Sports was still on the air. All Weiss could do was laugh, look around the room and blame Thomas for instigating me. (He didn’t, by the way).

Colorado Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez swings and misses during an at-bat in the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on April 22, 2015, in Denver. The Rockies defeated the Padres 5-4. (Daniel Petty, The Denver Post)

The numbers scream slump: .179 batting average, .217 on-base percentage, three walks and 10 strikeouts in 56 at-bats. He has one home run and five RBIs in 14 games.

He started Thursday’s game against the Padres on the bench.

Carlos Gonzalez, being CarGo, was not happy he was not playing. But his boss thought it was time.

“I’ve been picking days for guys and I’ve been wanting to give CarGo one for the last few days,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “But Dickey (Corey Dickerson) was banged up and we were short-handed. So I thought a day game after a night game was a good spot for it.”

Tyler Matzek once saved a school of dolphins who were guiding a ship full of orphans to shore. It must be good karma that got him out of an ugly fifth inning Tuesday when the Padres should have broken the game open.

After the Rockies scored twice in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2, Matzek put them an another hole quickly to start the fifth against the bottom of San Diego’s lineup. He walked Clint Barmes on six pitches. Then he walked Brandon Morrow on five pitches — it was the first time in Morrow’s nine-year career he’s even been on base.

Matzek allowed four base runners in the fifth. And none scored. Matt Kemp grounded into a double play to kill the inning. Matzek walked six and struck out three. He left after the fifth with a 5-2 lead.

But the Rockies are riding a thin line of trouble with their starting pitchers.

Colorado Rockies left fielder Corey Dickerson grimaces as he walks off the field during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres on April 20, 2015, at Coors Field. Dickerson left game and was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

It was the news that left fielder Corey Dickerson, looking primed to build on his breakout 2014 season, has plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He’s been trying to play through it, but the pain forced him to leave Monday’s game after his at-bat in the third inning.

“Dickerson has been dealing with some planter fasciitis and after that at-bat he came out of the box and that thing bit him,” manager Walt Weiss said.

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado #28 makes a throw to first to end the top of the seventh inning during an MLB game against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on April 22, 2015, in Denver. (Daniel Petty, The Denver Post)

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado’s all-star start to the season has been derailed.

The two-time Gold Glove winner was a late scratch for Monday night’s game against the Padres because of what the club called a sore left wrist. He’s listed as day to day.

After the game, Arenado said he hoped to be back at third base for Tuesday night’s game against San Diego.

“This is nothing chronic, just some soreness,” he said. “I’ve never had this before. I think I’ll be fine.”

There is one place Dinger is not allowed to go this season and that is behind home plate at Chase Field in Arizona.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have a strict dress code for their home plate box seats. A Dodgers fan sitting in the box seats was forced by Diamondbacks staff to remove his Dodger blue for some new Diamondbacks gear.

The D-Backs Batters Box Suite has a lot to offer — $3,700 tickets, free food and beverage, access to Audi Quattro lounge, special in group recognition, concierge and suite services, five VIP parking passes, postseason priority — as well as Diamondbacks schwag to cover up visiting team colors.

After going 0-for-5 on Friday in his first game at Coors Field since the Rockies traded him to Houston for Jordan Lyles and Brandon Barnes two years ago, Fowler finally remembered the high altitude as the Cubs took down the Rockies 9-5.

“I like triples. But my first triple, I was over there breathing hard,” Fowler said. “I told Nolan (Arenado), ‘I forgot about running here.’ So the next one, I braced myself for it. But I can’t slow down.”

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum throws against the San Diego Padres in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 10, 2015, in San Diego. (Lenny Ignelzi, The Associated Press)

Spotlight on … Tim Lincecum, RHP, Giants

What’s up: Lincecum has been forced to reinvent himself as a starting pitcher. The fastball velocity that he once used to overwhelm hitters is now relatively tame, coming in at 87-88 mph. It might not be accurate to label Lincecum a “finesse pitcher,” but he definitely has to hit his spots and throw a variety of pitches in order to be effective. He’ll face the Rockies on Wednesday night at AT&T Park, and if the Rockies aren’t patient, he can make them look silly. In San Diego on Friday night, Lincecum threw seven shutout innings, allowing four hits.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa is hoping to rejoin the Rockies’ rotation for Tuesday’s game at San Francisco. (Ben Margot, The Associated Press)

Lefty Jorge De La Rosa took a step toward joining the Rockies’ rotation. Was it a big enough step? That remains to be seen. He is tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday night at San Francisco.

De La Rosa pitched four innings and gave up one run in an injury rehab start for Triple-A Albuquerque against Reno Thursday night.

De La Rosa, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin, gave up four hits — including a Peter O’Brien solo homer in the second inning — struck out three and walked two. He threw 57 pitches, 38 for strikes.

“I felt good, I threw all of my pitches, but my fastball command wasn’t sharp,” he said Friday morning before the Rockies home opener vs. the Cubs at Coors Field.

Milwaukee — It was the kind of night that I’ll remember late into the summer, even when the games start bleeding into one another during the long, 162-game season.

There was much more to the Rockies’ 5-4, 10-inning victory than Wilin Rosario’s game winning homer off Francisco Rodriguez. More to it than Carlos Gonzalez’s grand 466-foot homer that nearly reached the giant video board beyond center field.

There also was this: Catcher Nick Hundley running up and hugging reliever John Axford after Axford closed out the game in the 10th.

Rockies reliever John Axford is going back to Phoenix Thursday to be with his son, Jameson, who is recovering from a rattlesnake bite. (John Leyba. The Denver Post)

“This one’s for Jameson,” Hundley said.

Jameson, in case you haven’t heard, is Axford’s 2 1/2-year-old son, who remains in a Phoenix-area hospital receiving treatment for rattlesnake bites he suffered late in spring training.

The prognosis is better for Jameson, and he won’t have to have any toes amputated, but the snake’s venom did considerable tissue damage and it could take another six weeks before Jameson will be discharged from the hospital.

Troy Tulowitzki makes a throw to retire the Brewers’ Carlos Gomez during the third inning at Miller Park on April 7, 2015, in Milwaukee. (Mike McGinnis, Getty Images)

MILWAUKEE — The chip on the Rockies’ shoulder is serving them well in the infant part of the 2015 season.

And no one is motivated by that chip more than shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who’s hitting .500 to open the season.

After the Rockies beat the Brewers 5-2 Tuesday night, I asked Tulo about the Rockies tying a 103-year-old MLB record for the most doubles in the first two games of the season. I explained that the last time a team hit 12 doubles in their first two games was the 1912 New York Giants.

“Pretty cool,” I said.

Tulo replied: “What sticks out to me when I hear that, is that I’m really happy that it’s on the road. The first thing we would hear if we were at home was about how it’s a hitter’s ballpark, and they are at home, so that’s why all the doubles. So wait until they go on the road.”

It was only six years ago that Nolan Arenado, the Rockies’ two-time Gold Glove third baseman, was a star on El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.) High School’s varsity baseball team.

During his junior season at El Toro, in 2007-08, Arenado batted .456 with 32 RBIs and 33 runs while helping the Chargers win a Southern Section Division II championship and earning All-Southland team honors by the Los Angeles Times. His senior year, he had a .517 batting average, .615 on-base percentage, five homers and 14 doubles while, again, earning All-Southland honors by the L.A. Times.

Arenado was also a right-handed pitcher at El Toro, posting a two-year (2007-09) record of 3-1 with a 3.15 ERA over 20 innings with 17 hits, 26 strikeouts, eight walks and nine earned runs.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa winds up in the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014, in San Francisco. (Ben Margot, The Associated Press)

MILWAUKEE — Relief is on the way for the Rockies’ starting rotation.

Lefty Jorge De La Rosa, the club’s best pitcher, is on pace to return to the team on April 14 in San Francisco. That’s the first day the Rockies will need to utilize a five-man rotation.

“I feel good … my arm feels perfect,” De La Rosa said Monday morning before the Rockies’ season-opener against the Brewers at Miller Park.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.